Method for producing a nonwoven material by hydrodynamic needling

ABSTRACT

The novel product consists of hydrodynamically bonded non-woven layers of which at least four layers are stacked and are than joined to one another by only using hard water jets.

From U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,848 there is known a three-ply sandwich nonwoven whose outer plies are made up of staple fibers 30-100 mm long and that has in the middle a pulp ply, which can also be made up of a blend of and with other fibers such as natural fibers or synthetic fibers.

It is an object of the invention to form a sandwich nonwoven that makes special properties possible. Thus, for example, the end product is to have a high liquid absorption capacity on one side while the other surface is instead to be tight or better suited to the absorption of other liquids, in any case is to differ in its properties from the other surface.

In order to achieve the object, provision is made for producing the nonwoven material from at least four plies, which are bonded to one another by hydrodynamic needling in order to bond the nonwoven material, the two outer plies being made up of nonwovens of cardable staple fibers up to 100 mm long or spun-bond, melt-blown or other special fibers, and the at least two inner plies covered by the outer plies being made up of unlike pulp fibers or pulp fibers with other fibers such as synthetic fibers or natural fibers or other fibers or absorptive substances such as for example superabsorbers.

The possibility of producing the two inner plies from unlike fibers that have unlike purposes and properties has the advantage that such a wipe, hygiene product or the like can perform unlike tasks on the two surfaces. One side for example can absorb more liquid than the other, better rubbing or similar action being possible, however, with this other surface. Thus one inner ply can be made up of longer pulp fibers up to 30 mm long while the other ply can be produced from shorter pulp fibers such as 2-5 mm or from hydrophilic synthetic fibers. Flax fibers, SAP fibers or those with a different cross-sectional profile can also be used. The two inner plies can both have absorptive properties but additionally differ substantially.

The two outer plies are to be made up of carded fiber plies, from spun-bond or melt-blown nonwovens or of fibers different in fiber structure whose fiber lengths can be adapted to the product in question. It is also possible, however, to use a different nonwoven forming process such as spun-bond, melt-blown or the Nanoval method according to DE-PS 199 29 709. Naturally, individually completely preformed tissue plies can also be laid on for sandwich nonwoven formation. A sandwich nonwoven formation is also conceivable in which the individual plies are withdrawn from a roll with rolled-up individual nonwovens, meshes, woven fabrics and the like. If a carding machine is to be used, which produces two or three carded fiber plies at once (i.e., via two or three doffers), then of these only the top ply can be subjected to calendering, hot-air bonding or another kind of pre-bonding, so that the bottom ply, which governs the feel of the finished product, remains velvety. 

1. A method for producing an at least four-ply sandwich nonwoven material continuous forming the plies, that is, first the base ply, then the at least two middle plies and finally the cover ply, then continuous bonding of the nonwoven material, four-ply in any case, by hydrodynamic needling alone, followed by drying of the nonwoven material, the two outer plies being formed from nonwovens of staple fibers up to 100 mm long, which are produced by the carding method, or of spun-bond or melt-blown fibers and the at least two inner plies covered by the outer plies being produced from unlike pulp fibers or pulp fibers blended with synthetic fibers or natural fibers, and the middle plies, two in any case, having unlike liquid absorption capacities.
 2. (canceled)
 3. (canceled)
 4. (canceled)
 5. The method for producing a nonwoven material of claim 1, characterized in that one of the plies between the outer plies is produced from a mesh-like nonwoven, a mesh of arbitrary plastic or of arbitrary other fibers or the like.
 6. The method for producing a nonwoven material of claim 1, characterized in that the sandwich nonwoven is outwardly covered by a mesh-like layer. 